Customer service? RIP

Nutcase · 05-06-2008, 19:24

My phone has been annoying me more and more recently. It's about 6 months old and it's a nokia N73. One of the zoom/volume buttons hasn't workd for ages, and it likes to randomly switch off.

So I took it into the vodafone shop, who gave me a courtesy phone, and sent mine off for warranty repair.

I get a nice text saying they've recieved it, then a few hours later saying its on its way back. Hmm, bit quick.

Picked it up today. Not repaired "Unfortunately one of our qualified technicians found traces of moisture inside the phone which has led to damage". And now the warranty is void

Buggered if I can remember when the phone has EVER been near anything damp.

So I stripped it down myself. Nothing to lose now there's no warranty.

And found there little markers. How on earth any "moisture" got past all the seals, castings etc. without leaving ANY trace anywhere else I do not know. Looks slightly gungy too. Flux residue perhaps? I don't know.

http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgaller...rts/phone2.jpg

What I do know is that it certainly had bugger all to do with the poorly soldered switch.

http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgaller...rts/phone1.jpg

The right-hand of the two switches towards the bottom of the pic wasn't attached at two of the pads. 30 seconds with a soldering iron and that's one problem solved.

Blatently obvious they didn't even look at that problem, just went hunting for an excuse to cop out of repairing it.

Will be sending them a politely worded email stating what I think. Been with vodafone for an uninterrupted 10 years.

Soon as this contract is up I'm off, unless they do something drastic.

SCM · 05-06-2008, 19:35

Thats definitely not damp and is normal process markings you get when the phone is run through the ovens. I used to be quality control at the end of a production line in an electronics factory and that is not damp but markings left over from manufacture. As even if it was damp the normal heat from the phone would have dried it up and you would never be able to tell when that marking occured.

As for them missing that lifted switch that is unbelievable who did they get to check the board their guide dog???

I just think this was them avoiding honouring the warranty and trying to fob you off to save them having to repair/replace the phone. So go get them over it.

SCM

Nutcase · 05-06-2008, 20:00

Got to say I agree with your assesment. Used to be a designer of selective soldering equipment. Kind of wish I still worked for them as I could have resoldered the switch a lot neater!

Just sent this:

Quote:

Today I recieved back my phone which was sent for repair to two faults: One of the zoom/volume buttons did not work, and the phone randomly switches itself off. SID Ref 1715613. However I was very disappointed to be told that the phone had not been repaired, and further the warranty had been declared void due to "moisture inside the phone which has led to damage", with a photo (which I was not allowed to keep the original of, despite it being adressed to myself) showing two vague smudges.

I know of no time that the phone has ever been exposed to anything bar normal atmospheric moisture, not even exposed to rain.

With the warranty void, I decided to view the "damage" myself and disassmbled the phone. To say I was suprised to find the area affected behind a casting, surrounded by an emi shield which makes contact all the way round, yet the residue has some substance to it which surely would be evident on its "path" into that area. Or is it residue from when the pcb was assembled, presumably within a reflow oven?

What further infuriated me was that there was no way at all this "moisture" could be responsible for the poorly soldered SMT switch of which two contacts were seperated from the pcb. Was this fault even looked for?

A few seconds with a soldering iron and I have fixed one of the faults myself. Not a particularly neat job, but effective. The switching off fault alas is out of my hands, as it would seem from searching the internet that the likely culprit is software.

I am not at all impressed by the "repair" service. I have been a vodafone customer uninterrupted since November 1998, pay as you go until I started this contract. It is sad to see that when I need customer service I am left disappointed.

No doubt they'll use the fact that I've waved a soldering iron at it as an excuse to wangle out of anything, but still going to hound them

SCM · 05-06-2008, 20:07

Also i just remembered when i was working my last week at the electronics factory they had me doing a different job, which was cleaning the boards for motorola phones with air after they had been washed with water to remove any flux etc left behind. So this alleged moisture could have come from the factory where the phones were made and is nothing to do with you at all.

As in photo 1 the hole in the board on the right also has what appears to be markings of some kind, if anything they should have marked this as well. Which makes me think it was a half trained chimp that looked at the board and not a qualified repair tech.

SCM

Nutcase · 05-06-2008, 20:18

Half trained chimp supplied by guide dogs for the blind?

Wonder how they'll respond.

Cheers

Jonny69 · 06-06-2008, 11:07

Speak with your feet and leave them. Orange were getting on my tits so I went elsewhere. They have so many customers they don't care if I leave but if enough people do the same rather than putting up with their crap all the time it will hit them where it counts.

05-06-2008, 19:24	#1
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Customer service? RIP My phone has been annoying me more and more recently. It's about 6 months old and it's a nokia N73. One of the zoom/volume buttons hasn't workd for ages, and it likes to randomly switch off. So I took it into the vodafone shop, who gave me a courtesy phone, and sent mine off for warranty repair. I get a nice text saying they've recieved it, then a few hours later saying its on its way back. Hmm, bit quick. Picked it up today. Not repaired "Unfortunately one of our qualified technicians found traces of moisture inside the phone which has led to damage". And now the warranty is void Buggered if I can remember when the phone has EVER been near anything damp. So I stripped it down myself. Nothing to lose now there's no warranty. And found there little markers. How on earth any "moisture" got past all the seals, castings etc. without leaving ANY trace anywhere else I do not know. Looks slightly gungy too. Flux residue perhaps? I don't know. http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgaller...rts/phone2.jpg What I do know is that it certainly had bugger all to do with the poorly soldered switch. http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgaller...rts/phone1.jpg The right-hand of the two switches towards the bottom of the pic wasn't attached at two of the pads. 30 seconds with a soldering iron and that's one problem solved. Blatently obvious they didn't even look at that problem, just went hunting for an excuse to cop out of repairing it. Will be sending them a politely worded email stating what I think. Been with vodafone for an uninterrupted 10 years. Soon as this contract is up I'm off, unless they do something drastic.

05-06-2008, 19:35	#2
SCM As endorsed by Mr Black Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hell/Scotland take your pick Posts: 443	Thats definitely not damp and is normal process markings you get when the phone is run through the ovens. I used to be quality control at the end of a production line in an electronics factory and that is not damp but markings left over from manufacture. As even if it was damp the normal heat from the phone would have dried it up and you would never be able to tell when that marking occured. As for them missing that lifted switch that is unbelievable who did they get to check the board their guide dog??? I just think this was them avoiding honouring the warranty and trying to fob you off to save them having to repair/replace the phone. So go get them over it. SCM __________________ The sun is rising The screams have gone Too many have fallen Few still stand tall Is this the ending of what we've begun? Will we remember what we've done wrong?

05-06-2008, 20:07	#4
SCM As endorsed by Mr Black Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hell/Scotland take your pick Posts: 443	Also i just remembered when i was working my last week at the electronics factory they had me doing a different job, which was cleaning the boards for motorola phones with air after they had been washed with water to remove any flux etc left behind. So this alleged moisture could have come from the factory where the phones were made and is nothing to do with you at all. As in photo 1 the hole in the board on the right also has what appears to be markings of some kind, if anything they should have marked this as well. Which makes me think it was a half trained chimp that looked at the board and not a qualified repair tech. SCM __________________ The sun is rising The screams have gone Too many have fallen Few still stand tall Is this the ending of what we've begun? Will we remember what we've done wrong?

06-06-2008, 11:07	#6
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Speak with your feet and leave them. Orange were getting on my tits so I went elsewhere. They have so many customers they don't care if I leave but if enough people do the same rather than putting up with their crap all the time it will hit them where it counts. __________________

05-06-2008, 20:18	#5
Nutcase Moonshine Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chelmsford, innit! Posts: 3,979	Half trained chimp supplied by guide dogs for the blind? Wonder how they'll respond. Cheers